January 14, Colombo (LNW): The Ministry of Public Security has confirmed that efforts are underway to significantly accelerate the passport issuance process, with plans to issue up to 2,500 passports per day.
This move comes as part of a broader initiative to address the growing demand for passports and streamline the application procedure.
Minister Ananda Wijepala explained that the previous daily output of 1,100 passports was insufficient to meet the increasing needs of citizens.
“We have now put measures in place to increase the daily issuance of passports to 2,500. This is a significant boost to ensure that citizens are not facing unnecessary delays,” the Minister stated.
Responding to concerns raised by the public regarding long waiting periods, particularly for those who have been waiting for up to three months, Minister Wijepala assured that provisions had been made for urgent cases.
“For individuals who need to travel abroad at short notice, we have introduced a special channel for expedited passport processing. This will allow those in urgent need to receive their passports without delay,” he added.
He further explained that applications submitted through this expedited channel would be reviewed by a dedicated committee, which would prioritise these cases and take all necessary steps to ensure that passports are issued as swiftly as possible.
“We are committed to ensuring that no one is left waiting when they urgently need to travel,” the Minister emphasised.
This new initiative is expected to alleviate the passport backlog and offer a more efficient service to the public, particularly for those with pressing travel needs.
